Now I know you can just hear mom in the background….”a lady never…”as you imagine yourself doing a hip thrust. I am all for listening to mom, but sometimes we have to be just a bit naughty – right? I mean – our hip flexors demand it at some point. So what’s all this jibberish about hip flexors and thrusting – it just sounds so bad!

Eh-hem…let’s start with hip flexors. They are a muscle that runs along the front side of your hip bone. They are a small part of a group of muscles called the iliopsas and are a key component to a healthy back, connecting your quads and abdomen. They are also a major cause of hip pain when not kept happy. If your flexors are unhappy – they will tell you in the form of lower back pain, knee pain, and obviously hip pain. If this is you, the hip thrust may be just the ticket!

This exercise has multiple uses. First off, it works great in a functional warm up, unweighted, of course…and there is no limit to the level of burn you can get with this exercise. It builds your glutes, strengthens your lower back, and counters the effects of sitting in a chair.

Starting position is like the image below, however, your hips start from a resting position on the floor with your feet flat on the floor. Then, while contracting your glutes and lower back, suck in your abs, and raise your hips until you reach the position in the diagram below.

Notice she has tucked in her abs, and has NOT arched her back. Please be careful not to overextend your hips and arch the back.  This will prevent injury.

Once this exercise is mastered, there is no end to the variations available:

• use a stability ball for stabilization
• rest a plate on your hips for weight
• use a barbell to build your glutes
• add an exercise band around your lower thighs
• can be done with the TRX

I hope you find this useful – now I am off to do my hip thrusts – sorry mom! Maybe we should call it a bridge – just to be safe! Lol!